U.S. EPA Design for the Environment Program

NPPR Webinar June 23, 2011 Libby Sommer Environmental Scientist

Contents

• What is DfE?

• DfE’s Current Projects • Chemical Alternatives Assessments – BPA in Thermal Paper – Flame Retardant Alternatives to DecaBDE – HBCD Alternatives in Foam Insulation – Upcoming Alternatives Assessments • Safer Product Labeling Program – Growth in Labeled Products – – Enhancements to Labeling Standard How the DfE Label Drives Development of Chemical Data 2

• • •

What is DfE?

Goals • • • • Safer products Safer chemical ingredients is baseline Life cycle impacts are considered Protecting Consumers, Workers, & the Environment Central Elements • • OPPT technical tools and expertise Multi-stakeholder participation Results • Currently, industry partners use more than 700 million pounds of safer chemicals 3

DfE’s Current Projects

Flame Retardants in PCBs BPA Alternatives in Thermal Paper HBCD Alternatives in Foam Insulation Safer Product Labeling Flame retardant alternatives to decaBDE Lithium-ion battery LCA

This summer: NPEs Alternatives Assessment This fall: Phthalates Alternatives Assessment 4

What are Chemical Alternatives Assessments?

• High, Moderate, or Low ratings for: • Human health effects • Environmental fate and effects • Involves wide array of stakeholders • Provides information that manufacturers can use to create more sustainable products • Helps minimize the potential for unintended consequences by reducing the likelihood of moving to alternatives that could pose a concern 5

ES&T Feature Article

Lavoie et al. “Chemical Alternatives Assessment: Enabling Substitution to Safer Chemicals.” Environmental Science & Technology 2010 44 (24), 9244-9249 6

Steps to Conducting a Chemical Alternatives Assessment

2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 1) Refine project definition – through research and preliminary stakeholder consultation • Consider cost, technical feasibility & availability of alternatives Convene stakeholders Finalize scope & identify potential alternatives Conduct hazard assessment Develop the report Apply the information in decision making 7

DfE Alternatives Assessment (2005):

Flame Retardants in Furniture Foam

Human Health Hazard Concerns Ecotoxicity Hazard Concerns Environmental Hazard Concerns

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DfE Alternatives Assessments for Priority Chemicals

Flame Retardants in PCBs BPA Alternatives in Thermal Paper HBCD Alternatives in Foam Insulation Flame retardant alternatives to decaBDE

This summer: NPEs Alternatives Assessment This fall: Phthalates Alternatives Assessment 9

Upcoming Milestones – Current AAs

• BPA in Thermal Paper – – Developing draft hazard evaluations – On-going Post draft report for review & comment – September 2011 – Finalize report & publicize results – December 2011 • Alternatives to DecaBDE – – Developing draft hazard evaluations – On-going Post draft report for review & comment – October 2011 – Finalize report & publicize results – February 2012 • Alternatives to HBCD – Refining list of functional alternatives – Now 10

Requirements for the DfE Label

• Standard for Safer Cleaning Products – Whole product requirements, such as pH and synergistic effects – – – Product performance Audits Ingredient disclosure • Criteria for Safer Ingredients – Surfactants – – – – Solvents Chelating Agents Fragrances Master Criteria (for all other ingredient classes) • Partnership Agreement – 3 years Available at www.epa.gov/dfe.

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Growth in Labeled Products

DfE Labeling: Safer Chemicals Used and Labeled Products 2520 products

2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 0 211 84 139 46 380 100 200 883 300 400 1700 500 Safer Chemicals Used (million lbs) 2166 600 700 12

Greater Transparency & Enhancements to the DfE Standard

• DfE Standard for Safer Cleaning Products – Written in the format of an ANSI Standard – Stakeholders are listed on the DfE website – Enhancements are posted for public comment • Stakeholder group helped propose enhancements. – Auditing – Enhanced packaging requirements – Definitional Improvements – Enhanced VOC requirements – Ingredient communication 13

Enhancements – Packaging

• Requirements based on Sustainable Packaging Coalition Criteria – Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy; – – Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials; Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices; – – – Is made from materials healthful in all probable end-of-life scenarios; Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy; and Is effectively recovered and used in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles • Must attain 25% for partnership and improve over time • Restricts heavy metals, BPA, and phthalates 14

Enhancements – Auditing & VOCs

• Auditing – Yearly review • On-site audit • • Paper Audit Partnership renewal • VOC Content – Use strictest government criteria • Either Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) or California Air Resources Board (CARB) 15

Enhancements – Ingredient Communication

• All ingredients must be listed • Non-confidential ingredients – On the bottle, or – An easily accessible location where ingredients can be found (e.g., a place on the formulator’s website) • Confidential ingredients, dyes and preservatives -- use a chemical descriptive name Example of Acceptable Ingredient Communication • Scent ingredients – Can be listed on the label as “Fragrance” – More detailed information must be provided elsewhere • e.g., website list of the actual ingredients, or • set of chemicals on the IFRA list 16

Marketing

• Updated web site – sections for institutional purchasers, consumers, and manufacturers • Emphasize partner use of the label and promotion of the brand • Retailer promotions – Safeway “shelf talkers” highlight the DfE label • Direct outreach to consumers – Green Festival – Facebook 17

DfE Criteria Drive Development of Safer Chemicals & Data

• DfE Criteria led to development of safer chemicals – – Surfactants (not previously in commerce) which are more rapidly biodegradable Dow, BASF, Akzo Nobel • DfE Criteria have driven development of new test data – Biodegradation – Aquatic toxicity – Carcinogenicity 18

Thank you!

For more information: Libby Sommer [email protected]

202-564-1065 For more information: DfE: epa.gov/dfe 19